On Computers

I asked an artificially intelligent version of Elon Musk what his most embarrassing moment was. He said it was sending a message to the whole office about “naughty snacks.” If you want to talk to him too, he’s at the website Character.ai. Character.ai, also a free app, offers a range of AI celebrities and professionals. Winston Churchill told me how the war in Ukraine will end. Signmund Freud told me not to feel guilty. An AI Frenchman helped me practice my language skills. A librarian gave me a great book suggestion. It’s addicting. You can create your own AI character for free.  I named mine “Health” and wrote a one-paragraph description on what it means to be a “Nutritarian.” After that, it […]

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Filed under: AI, apps, batteries, computers, Google, Internuts, passwords, photos, security, text messaging | Comments Off on AI CELEBRITIES TO CHAT WITH

I normally don’t nap. But when I put the “Sensate 2” on my chest bone, I conk out within minutes. The Sensate 2, which was sent to me for review, looks something like a polished stone, although it’s plastic. Place it on your sternum and feel its vibrations. It quietly buzzes, gently knocks or deeply hums, according to the intensity you choose and the type of session you select. There are 14 free ones. If you want the whole library of sounds, it’s $50 a year. I’m addicted to the free “Forest” with its pan pipes, birds and babbling brooks, which comes through on your phone in the Sensate app. It lasts 20 minutes. The device itself is $299. Many […]

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Filed under: Amazon, batteries, health, Internuts, phones | Comments Off on VIBRATIONS AND HUMS TO CALM YOU DOWN

Recently, I thought I got a Facebook friend request from a cousin, but it turned out to be her clone. Duped again. After accepting that phony friend request, I noticed two red flags: First, I was her only friend. Second, the clone had only three posts. When I typed her name into the Facebook search bar, I saw her real account listed after the fake one, so I immediately unfriended the faker. You might want to search for your own name to see if there are two of you. “What should I do about it?” my cousin asked. Here are the steps to follow. Go to the fake account’s home page and click the three horizontal dots near the word […]

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Filed under: AI, apps, batteries, electronics, environment, Internet, TV | Comments Off on FACEBOOK CLONES

Duolingo, the language app, is now boosted by CHATGPT-4. Thanks to artificial intelligence, it’s rolling out “Role Play.”  Role Play drops you into an imaginary scenario in French or Spanish. For example, suppose you’re bantering with a waitress in Barcelona while munching tapas. After your conversation, a robot will tell you how you did. It’s part of the new “Duolingo Max” subscription for iPhone only, which is slowly rolling out across America. In an article in a recent New Yorker magazine, the writer describes her mock session in a French cafe. After some exchanges, she said “I love you,” to the AI machine. When it asked if she would rather spend evenings alone, she said she would if everyone was […]

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Filed under: Amazon, batteries, education, facebook, health, Internuts, video | Comments Off on ROLE PLAYING WITH AI

With Microsoft’s free “Bing Image Creator,” the words you type turn into art. You can even sell the results. It all happens through the magic of “DALL-E2,” a tool invented by the makers of ChatGPT. I envision putting these images on t-shirts, tote bags, posters, blankets and more. But for now, I’m just using them for greeting cards and Facebook posts. To start, go to Bing.com/create. Next, type in a phrase and click “Create.” For a birthday card for my brother-in-law, for example, I typed “golfer celebrating birthday on the course in the style of Van Gogh.” In two of the results, there were facial distortions, but the other two were great.  When I typed: “a picnic on the beach […]

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Filed under: AI, art, batteries, health, Internuts, maps, tech support | Comments Off on MAKING A BUSINESS OUT OF AI-GENERATED ART

Publishing a book through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing turned out to be both easier and harder than I thought.  After tearing my hair out at first, I discovered Amazon’s template for a five-by-eight inch paperback. I also noticed a lengthy guide and a long video tutorial, but I can never sit through those. So whenever I had a question, I hit the chat button and got a live person. They didn’t always know the answer but kept me moving right along, encouraging me to skip design elements I didn’t need. Besides texting, I could have talked on the phone or emailed them. Each time, they were available within seconds. I’m working on a historical novella for a retired professor of […]

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Filed under: batteries, books, business, gadgets, Internet, Internuts, kids, storage, web | Comments Off on PUBLISHING YOUR BOOK ON AMAZON

The first thing I noticed on my recent trip to California was the explosion of e-bikes. They zipped past me on a boardwalk along the ocean. The number of e-bike sales are about double the number of electric car sales, despite a price in the thousands. But for $450, you can get a conversion kit, such as the “Clip,” which will turn any old bike into an e-bike. You can even remove the “e” part of your e-bike when you go inside, to prevent theft. Here’s how it works: When you engage the clip, a small roller transmits torque directly to your front tire, driving you forward without any need for complex sprockets or gears. This so-called “friction drive” is […]

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Filed under: 3D Printing, apps, batteries, fitness, Internuts, iPhone, robots | Comments Off on THE RISE OF E-BIKES

I just made a will using free online tools. I didn’t need a lawyer. I did it all at LawDepot.com during their one-week free trial. LegalDepot has hundreds of templates for legal documents, including power-of-attorney forms. After the free trial, it costs $35 a month or $108 a year if paid annually. I easily finished mine within the freebie period. I was motivated by my local women’s club, which has a special “pinning ceremony” for those who name the club in their wills, even for a small amount. I’m looking forward to getting my pin. Another group I support gave me a free paperweight. When I told the ladies that I was naming the club in my will, they assumed […]

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Filed under: apps, batteries, business, music | Comments Off on WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY

Recently, my neighbor went into assisted living. The first thing she noticed was the lack of TV channels. Gone were her favorites, like Hallmark. I suggested YouTube TV. YouTube TV has over 85 channels for $65 a month. Its chief rival, Hulu, is $80 a month if you include the ability to skip ads and record 200 hours worth of shows. YouTube TV gives you unlimited recordings and ad skipping for no extra charge. You also get a $10 discount on the first three months after a free trial. CNET tested six streaming services. They agree with me that YouTube TV is the best. However, you might prefer Hulu if you’re a fan of Disney Plus, the History Channel and […]

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Filed under: apps, batteries, Internuts, music, YouTube | Comments Off on YOUTUBE BEATS HULU

I sent my favorite 11 year-old a personality quiz based on her favorite Amazon series. Then I made a better one. You’ve probably seen such quizzes on Facebook and elsewhere. Perhaps the most famous is from the New York Times. If you search on the phrase “New York Times quiz how y’all,” it comes right up. It figures out where you’re from based on the words you use. They marked me as a Californian, which is right on target, since I grew up there.  One of the words that helped them decide was my use of “crawdad” instead of “crayfish.” But they also figured I’d spent time in Reno, Nevada, which I had, as a college student. To get started […]

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Filed under: Android, batteries, books, browsers, education, facebook, Internuts | Comments Off on MAKING YOUR OWN ONLINE QUIZ